Car signaling device.



H. ROWNTREE.

CAR SIGNALING DEVICE.

APPLICATION meu MAY 22. 191x.

l 1,134,640, l Patented Apr.6,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

a il? H. ROWNTREE. CAR SIGNALINC DEVJCE. APPLICATION FILED MAY22l 19H. I

"Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

IUNITED snarns rin-rn otifrlC/"` HnnoLn Rowiv'rnnn, or cnrcaeo, ILLINOIS.

To all whom 'at may concern f Be it known that I, HAROLD Rownrnnn,

i' a citizcnof'the'United States, residing at Chicago; county of Cook, State lof Illinois, have made a certainnew. and userulI Invention in Car Signaling Devices,.of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates 4to car signaling devices, and lparticularly to devices for signaling to a street car motormanl to indicate when it is safe to' start the oar.

The object ofthe invention is to provide a signaling device, lwhich is simple and enicient, for indicating to the motor'man -at the front end of the Streetcar when it' is safe for the car to be started.

'provide a signaling-device of the character referred to which is ycontrolled automatically by the closing movementoi`- the doorv employed t'ocontrolthe entrance andl exitof passengers to' and from the car, therebyindicating to the motorman whether or not the door is closed and it is safeto start 'the car. l

. A further object'of the invention is to provide a signalingl device ofthe character referred to which utilizes ay portion only o f theclosing movement of the door toenect ,the' operation of the -signal device, thereeaving the device inoperative whenthe.

Y door is completely closed,

Other objects of the invention will appear The invention consl ts substantially in the combination, construction, location and relative arrangement of parts, all as will lbe' more fully hereinafter set forth,` as shown in the accompanying drawings, and linally pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to theja'ccompanying vdrawings z--Figur'el i's -a view showing the'application of a signaling device embodylng 'my lnvention 1n connection with a sliding d or. Fig.;2 is a similarview showing the 1 application of a signaling devise 't0 a Swinethe practical Operation of Street Cars accidents" frequently happen by. reason of the conductor from the rear 'platform giving the m'otormanat 'the' lfront 'end' of the car the starting signa-ly vfor startingthe carv f while passengers are boarding or alighting' from the carfor attempting vto do so, source ofdanger is yl'argelv avoided bypro-x Specification of--Letters Patent.

can SIGNALING invlcn.

ividing'the rear platform of the car with side Patented Apr.c,1e15. Appncatidn leamay 22,1911, s'ria1`N0-6gg68- .l

even with cars having platform side doors it 1 sometimes happens that the cenductorgives the starting signal'to the motornan toosoon,

and while passengers are still attemptingto get on orv ont' the. car, and before the doors controlling the entrance' and exit doorways are completely closed. l

It is among the special purposes lof my present invention to provide an automatic signalingdevice, which isl controlled by the closing movement. of the door on the rear platform, for giving the motorman at ythe v front end of the carthe starting signal. A further ob]ect ofl the lnvention 1s to- In carrying out my invention I propose to employ a portion only ofthe closing movei ments of-'the door, to ei'ect the control and operation of the signaling device, and, preferably, I propose toA utilize the closing movement of the 4door as it approaches its linal closed position for leiect'ing the operation 'and control of the signal device, so that by' the time the door reaches its completely closed position the starting signal will have thrown out of. operation'.

.been Agiven and the signalingi apparatus In Fig. l, I have shown my invention as ,applied to a sliding door. 'In 'this view of a the drawing, A, 'designates the sliding door -trically operated signaling 'device asv .other forms of signaling device are' equally well adapted for use in'carryingout my invention. .The circuit of the' electrically operated signal device issupplied with current' from a battery or other source of current indicated atv E' Arranged in the circuit of the battery is a fixed contact 10, towhich the battery of a lug 14, connected to move vwith the door A, so that as the door 'slides in one direction or the other the projection 14,'enga esthe heel 113,9 fA pivoted' arm 1 1` androes said suspended by 4hangers `or rollers B, from a terminal wire a, is connected.

` Mounted adjacent to the contact 10, is a eontact arm 11,"pivotedat'12, and having a heel extension 13, arranged in the pathoftravel or'other convenient retracting mea-ns', tendthe door so as to give the two ing to yieldingly lmaintain said arm 11, in tions to the signal device.

'a' normal position out of bearing relation y with respect to'. contact 10. ln the particu-Y my invention as applied to a sliding d0or.-

A CH

arm in one direction or the other according ployed and located in close proximity to to the'direction of movement oi the door., each other and vadapted to be operated suc- The arm 11, .is acted upon by a spring ,1g/1,' cessively'during the closing movements'of rings or ac- In the foregoingdescription I have shown lararrai'igement shown, to which, however', lt is obvious that my invention is equally in its broadest scope,'my invention, as de- Wellladapted for application to a folding, inedin. the claims, is not to be llimited lor swinging or other form of door and in Fig.. restricted, a lever 15, pivoted at one end asn 2, I have shown application thereof, to a at 16, haslits' free end ar 1anged to engage folding door of a common' type. n this studs, or pins 17, on the arm 11, the spring view the door is indicated at 4F, and in this lelacting fon the lei/'er i5. From this arinst-ance is composed of folding sectionspp rangement it Will' be seen-that the spring'lf, ei'ated. vby vertical shafts ,Gf placed at opn 'l is l placed under compression 'Whether the posite sides of the doorWay.- In the applica-- arm 11, is rocked in one .direction or the tion ovmy'invention torthis typeof door other, and' said spring constantly tends to arm H, is mountediupon one of thedoor op return theprm 1.1. to normal position what era'ting shafts G, `to-rock or move therewith', 'ever may be the directionin which said arm said arm having a pin J, corresponding in is rocked'bythe movemeuuL of the door. rlhe purpose and function Vto the projection 14, Contact 10,-,is placed at one side of the arm above described with reference to the slid- 11, so that'circuit connection is made there-y ing door in that said pin coperateslwith the with only Whenlsaid arm is rocked in one heel portions 13, of thevcontact armsl, the

'direction'. lThe rocking-movement of said, latter cooperating With contacts 10, ar-

arm in the opposite direction being merely yranged in the circuit terminals of lthe signal .an idle'movement. In. the 'relation of the device'D, and lits source of current E, and parts shown. 1n .Figgl the door .A 1s closed. Whether one` or tivo of such circuit control If new the' .door is .moved toward the left, ling or contact devices be employed, that is,

VJfrom its closed position the projection 14 Whether one or tivo signals are to'be given. vvvill strike the heel 13 of arm 11, as it/passes The operationof the signal controllingmech- .by the same, thereby rocking the'arm 11 m amsm, and the construction thereof, are- Wdirection away from contact 10. This is videntical in every respect Withthat above the idle movement referred to. A s'the door described with reference to. Fig. 1.

continues on its open-ing travel the projection 14, passes by the heel 13, thereby per- Imitting the spring ,14, to-restore the arm 11 to normal position. When the door is shift'- ed 'or moved in the opposite direction how- From the foregoing description it will be seen that l provide an exceedingly simple automatic doorl signal lfor either sliding, folding,;swinging, or other form of. doors, and in Which during` the opening movements ever, that is, toward closed position, the pro#V of the doors no signal isgiven but in the Jection 414 will engage heel 13, on the lei'tA closing movement -a 4signal is given to the hand side thereof, as said projectionpasses motorman, the operation of the signal device said heel, and as the door approaches its closed position, thereby rocking the arm 11, 1n a'dlrection -to engage contact 10, momentarily or until the door in its closing travel carries the projection 14, past the heel'. When the disengagement of projection 14, with heel 13, takes place, the arm. 1l., is restored 'to normal yposition thereby breaking itsconnection With contactlO. The contact arm 11, is in electrical connection With thel signal device through battery terminal Wire b so that When the said arm bears upon contact 10, circuit is completed from the battery p through the signal device thereby giving Ithesignal to' the motorman.. The'completion ,of this'circuit however, is momentary, as the door approaches lits closed position, and isbroken by the time the door reaches v its completely closed lposition., v

i rate 'Iffdesired and in. order to give two sepaf signalsj this being the. standard ahead. signal formotormamtwo contacts '1Q and cooperating-arms ll, may be ernbeing accomplished during a part only of th closing movement, but the arrangement iss h that when the door is fully closed e the signal apparatus is again put in its nor-v mal out-of-commisslon condition.- It will valso be seen that one or twoseparate'snccessive operations of the signal may be' efup the carwhen the'cause'of its temporary stoppal 'is removed yWhile the door is still open. In such'andother cases is desirable to inform the motorman Whenever 'the door is opened Withouty depending on the conduc- 4ice iccy

simple manner lin my. invention, by simply causing thelopening movement of the door as well as the closing movement thereof to operate the signal device. In the particular embodiment shown, this operation may be effected by simply adding an extra contact to one or both of the signal controlling devices, as indicated in dotted line's at 20, Fig. 2, and connect the same in circuit with the battery terminal a. I prefer to actuate' theA signal device only once during the opening movement of the door as that is'the standard stop signal to the motorman. In the arrangement shown the contact is placed on the opposite side of lever l1 from contact 10, so that as thedoor opens one operation of the signal isl eii'ected and in closing two operations of the' signal is eected thus giving both the normal stopping and the normal starting signals to the lmotorman by the mere act of operating the doors.

It is obvious that the signal device'may be operated from any suitable or convenient part connected to move coincidently with the door. l

Having now set forth the object and nature of my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and of'my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a signaling mechanism for cars, a signal device located at the front end of the car, a plurality of means for controlling the same, a door located fat the rear end of the.

car and adapted" to openy and close., and means carried by the doorto'inove therewith past said controlling means and operating to successively actuate said controlling means during a portion ofthe movement of the door. i

2.111 a signaling mechanism for cars, a signal device located at the front 'end of the car, a circuit therefor, a plurality of switches lfor controlling said circuit, a door located at therear end of the car and means carried by the door to move therewith and operating past said switches for successively operating said switches 'duringportions of the closing movement ofthe door,

3. In a signaling mechanismfor cars, a

signal device, independent controlling devices thereor, a door, means carried by said door to move past said controlling devices whenthe door is moved to engage the same, and operating to actuate the signal once during the opening movement of the door and a plurality of times'during the closing movement of the door.

4." In a signaling lmechanism 4vfor cars, a signal4 device, independent vices therefor, a door and means carried thereby and' moving lpast Asaid controlling devices when the door is moved, one of said controlling devices being operated to act-- uate the ,signal during the opening move; ment of thel door, and both actuating the same successively during the closing movement of the door.

In testimony whereof 'I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of the subscribing witnesses, 1911. y

HAROLD RowNTREE.

4IlVitnesses: l

MAE W. CLINTON, S. E. BARRY.

:sol

controlling de- 

